travelmatron

In our opinion there are a several nicer perks with HAL. The balconies are better, the free laundry service was great, and I think the king size bed could be separated. The single room suite cabins on HAL are larger and we felt, more comfortable, than the single room suite cabins on NCL. In the Haven though, there are many more choices to have additional rooms and bathrooms within your cabin. That extra, private space is invaluable when traveling with older children or adults. We were oversold on how good the Pinnacle restaurant was on HAL. Very subjective, but it always disappointed us in some way, the service, the food, or the seating, just nothing special. And unless there have been changes, it wasn't exclusively available for all meals with no extra charge as it is on most of the NCL cruises. We love the Haven restaurants to the point that we don't cruise on NCL ships without one. The small Neptune lounge with cold snacks doesn't begin to compare to the Haven's private bar/pool/sun deck. Outside the Haven there are many many more entertainment options available during more hours. The atmosphere outside the Haven though can feel more crowded and somewhat hectic. Some people enjoy that added energy, others do not. The special Haven embarkation in most ports was great, and being able to disembark without a long line was even better. We enjoyed the HAL suites when we stayed in them. Once we started staying in the Haven we've never been back. I think the Haven is also someone more expensive, so at some point we might reconsider. Personally, I'd miss it.

If you have drinks, appetizers, and desserts, it can last a couple of hours. If you tell your server that you have 7pm reservations and ask that they bring they put in the order quickly and bring the salads immediately, then you should be just fine. BTW, you can ask for a to-go box for your desserts, even if you simply want to save them for later.

My son's only planning request while visiting Malta is eating Maltese Rabit Stew. We'll only be in port from 7:30 until 3:00 and I understand many places will be closed on Sunday or opening late. Any suggestions?

Another article about cruise line staffing problems. Cruise lines cap ship capacity, close restaurants due to crew shortages (thepointsguy.com). This article mentions POA specifically. POA seems to be cancelling reservations now. That must be terribly hard on those who were ready to sail!

This is a Points Guy article that mentions Pride of America and problems that other cruise lines are having with staffing. Cruise lines cap ship capacity, close restaurants due to crew shortages (thepointsguy.com)

Enjoying your perspective! Thanks for posting

Lemondrop

I had a nasty spill on a pair of slacks I wanted to wear later in the cruise that could have created a permanent stain. Not only did the butler see that it was cleaned so there was no stain, but I had the slacks back later the same day. On a different cruise I forgot to pack rechargeable batteries. I asked the butler if he knew if they had any in the gift shop. He said he'd handle it for me, and returned with enough batteries (from the concierge, at no charge) to last the cruise I can't imagine asking someone to draw a bath, but I have asked for additional bath salts On other cruise lines I've needed to ask for extra hangers and/or slack/skirt hangers. Don't think I've needed them on NCL though. I've asked for a fan. The background noise is helps me sleep if the hallway is a little noisy or the cabin is near a doorway of elevator